B16a Shocking Experience!!

[kyle]

Hey all,

I went to adjust my ignition timing today. Started the car, popped the hood, but when i placed my hand on the dizzy I got absolutley raped. Hoestly, Ive touched a 240v electric fence before and this was close man. Jolted me from head to toe, my left ear, left hand and both shin bones ached for about half an hour.

Question, what could be causing this? Checked all my engine grounds and they seem good. Plug wires seem ok. Why is EFFY trying to kill me?

- Kyle

Pic Related
http://www.esatclear.ie/%7Efergalmj/buildpc/Electrocuted.jpg

[trism]

because that what happens.

there is electricity flowing thru it. its not insulated

lol

you got bitten, hope you learn from your experience

[kyle]

Ive done ignition timing on countless cars but this is the first time ive got shocked.

[dsp26]

lol...

Vinny.. you should read this.... exactly why we said latex gloves don't do jack lol.


Kyle: i feel your pain.. did it a few weeks ago and my heart really hurt... kinda like it was forced to contract while it was expanding....

[EGJOE]

your dizzy cap may have tiny crack some where

[vinnY]

never fear ron.. i got mad skillz and adjusted my timing already without being shocked ;)
my only problem was trying to turn the damn dizzy when it was at operating temp, friggin hot i tells ya

[kyle]

its happened once before when I touched the cam cover.

[dsp26]

lol @ vinnY


its happened once before when I touched the cam cover.

that only usually happens when you have the cracked dizzy issue EGJOE was talking about and the chassis ground wire wasn't hooked up properly to your head... that happened to me too after a i painted my rocker cover, the chassis ground wasn't grounding coz it was on paint and not the cover...

[ek4-guy]

This reminds me of when I helped a mate build he's mustang. One night we got drunk and ended up holding the lead that come from he's hi performance coil while the other turned the car over.

It was all fun till you'd bump your knee on the metal bumper

[JohnL]

your dizzy cap may have tiny crack some where

Or possibly; dirt and / or moisture on the cap, a less than good seal around the HT lead rubber boot, poor connection from cap to HT lead, or some combination of above (including EGJOEs crack)...?

It's not really all that funny, modern ignition systems carry a lot of energy, and it has killed people...

[vinnY]

say are there any effects that you can feel while driving with a damaged dizzy cap?
i've noticed lately that my voltage likes to fluctuate between 12.4v to 14.3v where it used to be a constant 14.2v no matter what accessories i had running
i see some cracks forming along the bolt holes down to the casting like it had been tightened down too much

[dsp26]

^^^alternator reg issue vin.. usually when the reg is overheating.. MAYBE a sign of it fying....

[kyle]

As for issues while driving, the car has seemed to get a little more tierd each week. The dash lights dim down in time to the indicator when its put on. Also it smokes a bit, unburnt fuel.

[ECU-MAN]

car ignition systems create more voltage than 240v but with less current, so you get zapped but live to tell us about it so we can laugh at you :). most EFI ignition systems are about 30,000v to 40,000v.

its normal to get zapped if your playing around the dizzy area while the car is running, doesnt always mean you have a cracked dizzy or bad leads. that energy in the lead is looking for the weakest part of the ignition system to escape from and the cap is usually the place.

[SPEEDCORE]

Don't taze me bro! :wave:

[Limbo]

its the amps that kill you not the volts itself.
I've held my dizzy before cos i got the clear type and not issues. I better be more careful so i dun get zapped

[JohnL]

My understanding is that there are recorded instances of death from being 'zapped' by ignition systems. It may be that victims might have had heart conditions or other health problems that made them more susceptable, but still...

[andiiso]

when i adjusted my timing, i just cracked the 2 bolts just enuff for dizzy to move then used the rubber handle of my screw driver to knock the lil metal part where bolt sits, only moves like a lil each time so i can adjust it to wat i want. Im not a big fan of shocks etc lol

[bradb16a]

hahah that make me laugh so much because i know how much it hit you because i have done it in the past.